Nov 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs players celebrate on the
field after defeating the Cleveland Indians in game seven of the 2016 World
Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Reuters - The Chicago Cubs shed themselves of the "Curse of the Billy
Goat" and ended a 108-year wait for a World Series title by beating the
Cleveland Indians on
Wednesday in a thrilling Game Seven classic.
By beating the host Indians 8-7 in 10 innings, Chicago's beloved
Cubbies set off a wild celebration in the streets of the Windy City after over
a century of pent up frustration for fans since their last Major League
Baseball championship in 1908.
Cubs players held their own euphoric party at Progressive Field cheered
on by a boisterous contingent of their fans after earlier squandering a 6-3
lead with four outs left in the game only to bounce back for the precious
victory.
"This is one of the best games anybody will ever see," said
Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, who fielded Michael Martinez's grounder and
fired it to first for the final out. "This trumps everything. I'm out here
crying. I can't really put into words what this means."
Leftfielder Ben Zobrist, who put the Cubs ahead in the 10th with an RBI
double and who batted .357 in the series with two doubles and a triple, was
named the most valuable player of the World Series.
The win in the early hours of Thursday morning capped a Chicago
comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven, a feat last achieved by the
Kansas City Royals in 1985.
It was the third World Series crown for the Cubs, while the
disconsolate Indians replaced them as the team with the longest current World
Series title drought, 68 years and counting.
"I don't know but it happened," said first baseman Anthony
Rizzo. "Chicago, it happened. We did it, we’re world champions."
WAKE-UP CALL
The Cubs, whose quiet bats woke up in Tuesday's 9-3 Game Six win,
picked up where they left off with three home runs in front of an audience
surprisingly crowded with their raucous blue-clad fans who paid handsomely to
buy tickets on the resale market.
With chants of "Let's Go Cubbies" ringing through Progressive
Field, Chicago charged to a 5-1 lead and carried a 6-3 advantage into the
eighth when Cubs manager Joe Maddon summoned closer Aroldis Chapman with two
outs and a man on.
But the Cuban fireballer, who pitched 2-2/3 innings on Sunday and
another inning and a third on Tuesday, gave up a run-scoring double to Brandon
Guyer and a two-run homer to Rajai Davis that tied the game and ignited an
explosion of cheers from the Cleveland faithful.
Rain began falling in the ninth and play was halted before the start of
the 10th to cover the field before extra innings resumed 17 minutes later.
With Bryan Shaw on the mound and two on base with one out, Zobrist
reached out and slapped a shot past diving third baseman Jose Ramirez to snap
the tie and Miguel Montero singled home another run to make it 8-6.
Carl Edwards started the 10th for Chicago but the irrepressible Indians
staged another rally, drawing within one run on an RBI-single from Davis.
In came lefthander Mike Montgomery, who induced Martinez to ground out
and launch the celebration with thousands of Cubs supporters staying on to sing
the "Go Cubs Go" team song after the four hour 28 minute battle.
The downcast Indians could only watch from the dugout steps.
"That was an incredible game, I mean, to be a part of it,"
said Cleveland manager Terry Francona. "It's going to hurt. It hurts
because we care, but they need to walk with their head held high because they
left nothing on the field."
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